Aqueduct: Monday, February 19

[Teach]

Good morning on Presidents' Day. Wasn't that some day, yesterday, for Dylan Davis. His six wins tied a NYRA record. Junior Alvarado won the other three. I've handicapped, below, the first three races on today's 8-race card. I'll be back later with the remaining picks:

Race One:

SUMMER PUNCH ran well in her last, one-month ago, in this same MSW company; she finished 2nd. This 4-year old bay filly should move forward off that effort. I believe Aqueduct Racecourse will remain sloppy (rain predicted during the afternoon). I feel that this Candy Ride-bred moves up in the off-going. Her wet-track pedigree, especially “on top,” is excellent. This Ride the Rails-bred should enjoy the added furlong. “Double A,” Angel Arroyo, reprises the ride for the Canadian-born Robertino Diodoro. Diodoro does very well both with horses making their second start off a claim and second start off a layoff. Others: Presumptuous: She was overmatched in last in Grade I stakes company. Her pilot, the red-hot (6 winners on yesterday’s card; that tied a NYRA record) Dylan Davis, is in the irons. Bogulator moves up on a wet track; he has two seconds in two tries in the off-going. This Bodemeister-bred has a solid hit-the-board record in the MSW company. Trevor McCarthy for Mark Hennig. Free Kitty has raced well against lesser claiming types. She now steps up into MSW ranks. Will she be equal to the occasion? She does handle the slop and has the endurance to run the one-mile distance. Manny Franco has his feet in the stirrups for the razor-sharp trainer, Linda Rice.

Race Two:

AFLEET MARTINI. “When you’re hot, you’re hot…” And “DD,” Dylan Davis, has been just that. His mount, an Afleet Alex-bred 6-year old gelding, should be coming “off the tailgate.” Look for this Northern Afleet-bred bay to mount a late-closing stretch drive. Davis has been timing his moves, perfectly. He’s done an excellent job of timing his moves and rating his mounts. Jeremiah Englehart, this gelding’s trainer, has an outstanding record with horses entered in claiming races. His charge has been “slip-sliding” down the claiming ranks. He appears to have reached his optimal level. Others: Bluegrass Prevails has been installed as the even-money M/L favorite. He certainly deserves that designation. This Rudy Rodriguez trainee has a solid wet-track pedigree. The slight cut-back off his last effort should help. Luis Reyes is in the irons. No Hiding Place finished 3rd against weaker in his last. I believe this Munnings-bred gelding moves up on a wet track. This 6-year old has an early “turn of foot” that could put this Gary Contessa trainee “on the engine”. Angel Arroyo rides. Bar None was the narrowly beaten favorite in his last race against weaker about 10 days ago. This Candy Ride-bred gelding has the wet-track pedigree to be a factor here. Look for this 5-year old bay gelding to be closing late. Joe Rocco, Jr. is in the irons for trainer Gary Contessa.

Race Three:

NONNA’S BOY gets my tepid nod in this claiming route. This Distorted Humor-bred bay horse failed to “get” the one-mile distance in her last two, off-the-board efforts. However, this 6-year old now moves inside (he won from there three races back); he’s also slipping down the claiming ladder. The hot as a petardo (firecracker), jockey Junior Alvarado (he had three winners on yesterday’s card; he and Dylan Davis swept the card), is in the irons for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Rodriguez is making an equipment change; he’s adding blinkers. Rodriguez – he’s having an excellent “Big A” meet -- does very well with horses entered in claiming races. Others: Cody’s Notes is getting class relief. This New York state-bred has been facing better; yet, he’s had little to show for his efforts, at least at South Ozone Park’s Aqueduct Racecourse (his last win came at Belmont). This Read the Footnotes (Smoke Glacken)-bred should find a wet track to his liking. Yet he seems to have tailed off during this fall-winter “Big A” meet. Is today’s race a wake-up call? John Morrison trains this 7-year old bay gelding. Luis Reyes has his feet in the stirrups. Chilly Bon Bon has an excellent supporting cast: the red-hot jockey, Dylan Davis and the razor-sharp trainer, Michelle Nevin. Here’s another New York state-bred who’s racing in open company. This Giant’s Causeway-bred disappointed last time as the 8/5 favorite. Possibly, the one-panel cut-back will do the trick? Again, there’s that excellent supporting cast. Open Bar has been on a bit of a downward spiral, at least times-wise. Yet, this Mineshaft-bred gelding gets a rider switch to “the king of Philadelphia,” the Cajun Kid,” Kendrick Carmouche. Carmouche is an aggressive rider who might just make this 5-year old competitive here. Mertkan Kantarmaci trains.

[Teach]

Race Four: - - -

Race Five: - - -

Race Six: - - -

Race Seven: - - -

Race Eight: - - -